Finally the Cong has a CLP leader, it’s Lobo not Digambar

Team Herald

PANJIM: Three weeks after the election results were declared, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo was appointed as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, making him the leader of the opposition, while, the very young Amit Patkar, who narrowly lost in Curchorem, was appointed as the new president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).

Earlier in the day, seven of 11 Congress MLAs had reportedly rallied behind Kamat in an apparent bid to make him the CLP leader. They expressed their resentment over the delay in appointing the CLP leader even after authorising the Congress president to decide. However, Kamat dismissed this as rumours and claimed that they all were united.

But a new order is evidently replacing the old.

Former Chief Minister and MLA Digambar Kamat, who was also in the race for the CLP leader post is a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao has been appointed as the GPCC working president, replacing Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira, a veteran Congressman.

Besides Lobo, Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar has been appointed as the deputy leader of CLP and Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira will be chief whip of the party.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has also appointed Viren Shirodkar as the North Goa District Congress Committee president while Savio D’Silva will be the president of South Goa District Congress Committee.

All these appointments are an indication that the Congress is looking at promoting young leaders over the old guard, by appointing them to important positions in the party organisation.   

When contacted, Kamat said that the party decision is acceptable as they had authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to choose the CLP leader. He also thanked Sonia Gandhi for appointing him as Member of CWC and congratulated all the new appointees. 

Lobo, a former Minister had quit the BJP and joined Congress just ahead of the Assembly polls. Later, the party gave tickets to him and to his wife Delilah to contest the Assembly polls and both won from Calangute and Siolim. Lobo had also campaigned in several constituencies.

Newly appointed GPCC president Patkar thanked Sonia Gandhi and other office-bearers for reposing faith in him and giving him huge responsibility to steer the party organisation in the State.